[Hotel Review]Staying Right on Shirahama Beach at Shiraraso Grand Hotel! Oceanside Hot Springs & Local Wakayama Eats

I headed to Shirahama, one of Kansai’s popular seaside resort destinations, for a relaxing getaway.
For this trip, I stayed for one night with breakfast and dinner at Shiraraso Grand Hotel, located directly in front of Shirarahama Beach, one of Shirahama’s most famous beaches.
One of the hotel’s highlights is its seaside location, with direct access to the beach from the hotel grounds.
I spent a relaxing stay enjoying views of the white sandy beach and blue ocean from my room, soaking in the hot springs while feeling the sea breeze, and trying dishes made with local ingredients from Wakayama.

Right in Front of Shirarahama Beach

Shiraraso Grand Hotel is located directly in front of Shirarahama Beach, one of Shirahama’s most beautiful and well-known beaches. The hotel faces the ocean and offers direct access to the beach from its grounds.
Multilingual staff are also available at the front desk, making the hotel welcoming and comfortable for international guests.
After checking in, I took a moment to relax with complimentary welcome drinks, including Japanese plum juice and apple juice.

A Japanese-Style Room Overlooking the Ocean

I stayed in a Deluxe Japanese-style room with Twin Beds on the fifth floor.
The Japanese-style room combines traditional tatami flooring with wooden flooring, creating a comfortable space where I could relax barefoot.
There was also a sofa area by the window facing the sea.
The bedroom had two beds, offering the calm atmosphere of a traditional Japanese room along with the comfort of Western-style beds.
The spacious washroom had two sinks, and the room also had a separate bathroom with a bathtub and two toilets, making it comfortable and convenient for a longer stay.

The best part was the view from the window.
The large window offered a beautiful view of Shirarahama Beach, with its white sand and blue ocean stretching out in front of me.
I enjoyed simply relaxing in the room while taking in the resort-like scenery.
Even in October, there were still people enjoying the beach and swimming in the sea that day.
Shirarahama is especially lively during summer, but the slightly cooler season also seemed like a lovely time to enjoy a leisurely walk along the beach.

In the evening, I watched the sunset from the room, while in the morning and evening I took walks along the beach.
It was also nice to see how the scenery and atmosphere of the ocean changed throughout the day.
The room was equipped with Japanese tea and snacks, panda-patterned cups, a kettle, refrigerator, coffee, and bottled mineral water.
Basic amenities such as toothbrushes, towels, and yukata robes were also provided.

Relaxing in Shirahama Onsen by the Sea

The hotel has public baths on the first and second floors, with the men’s and women’s bathing areas switching between morning and evening.
On the day I checked in, I used the public bath, Isobe no Yu Matsukaze, on the first floor.
The changing room was clean and comfortable, with skincare products and hair dryers provided at the vanity area. There was also a shampoo bar where guests could choose from different shampoos.
The bathing area had an indoor bath, a semi-open-air bath, and an open-air bath.
In the outdoor baths, I could hear the sound of the waves while soaking in the hot spring and feeling the sea breeze.
The water contains salt and was pleasantly warm, making it easy to relax in.
Towels were provided in the bathing area, so I could simply head to the bath without having to bring one from my room.
The following morning, I visited the second floor public bath, View Bath Sea Breeze.
This bath had a larger indoor bath and an outdoor bath. Because it is located higher up, I could enjoy a wider view of Shirarahama Beach than from the first-floor bath.
I started the morning with a relaxing soak while looking out at the ocean.
It was a refreshing way to begin the day.

A Kaiseki Dinner Featuring Local Ingredients from Wakayama

For dinner, I enjoyed a special kaiseki course featuring carefully selected ingredients from Wakayama.
Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multi-course dining style, with seasonal ingredients and carefully prepared dishes served one after another.

The meal was served in a private dining room, where I could enjoy the dinner at a relaxed pace.
I started with a tasting of several varieties of Kishu plum wine, a specialty of Wakayama.
The meal included a variety of seafood and seasonal dishes, including sea bream lightly cured with kelp and served with a sauce made with Nanko ume plums.
I also enjoyed Kuro-ushi, a local sake from Wakayama, along with a traditional dobin-mushi soup served in a small teapot.

A Western-style dish featuring Ise lobster and sweet potato was also included.
The main course was Kumano Beef, a premium wagyu beef from Wakayama, served as grilled shabu-shabu in a hot pot.
Throughout the meal, local ingredients and flavors from Wakayama were incorporated into the dishes.
The meal ended with rice and a seasonal mixed rice option, followed by a small tart made with locally grown fruit.
From the plum wine and seafood to Kumano Beef and local fruit, it was a leisurely dinner that gave me a chance to enjoy the flavors of Wakayama.

A Breakfast Buffet Filled with Local Favorites

The following morning, guests can choose between a traditional Japanese breakfast set and a Japanese-Western buffet. I chose the buffet.
The dining area was filled with a wide variety of dishes made with local ingredients from Wakayama.
One of the first things that caught my eye was plum porridge and a selection of Kishu Nanko ume plums, a famous variety from Wakayama.
There was also plenty to enjoy with rice, including locally produced boiled whitebait, grilled fish, and mentaiko, a spicy seasoned cod roe.
The buffet also featured local specialties such as fried Kinokuni Mikan Chicken, Wakayama ramen, and Shirara Nabe, a local-style hot pot made with chicken meatballs containing mandarin orange peel.

At the live cooking station, freshly made omelets were served hot.
The handmade rice balls, or onigiri, came in three varieties: Kumano Beef miso, plum and dried young sardines, and sesame charcoal salt.
For those who enjoy bread, there were also fluffy croissants and Danish pastries.
The dessert selection included colorful donuts, Wakayama mandarins, crème brûlée, and yogurt made with shio-koji, a traditional Japanese fermented seasoning.
There was also a variety of drinks, including tea and coffee, as well as Kishu plum juice, vinegar water, and smoothies made with carrots and fruit.
With so many homemade dishes featuring local ingredients and flavors from Wakayama, I ended up enjoying quite a hearty breakfast.

A Relaxing Shirahama Stay with Ocean Views, Hot Springs, and Local Cuisine

Shiraraso Grand Hotel offers a relaxing seaside stay right in front of Shirarahama Beach.
I enjoyed the white sandy beach and blue ocean from my room, walked directly from the hotel to the beach, and soaked in Shirahama Onsen while listening to the waves and feeling the sea breeze.
The meals were another memorable part of the stay, with local ingredients from Wakayama featured in both the kaiseki dinner and breakfast buffet.
There was plenty of time to enjoy the sea at my own pace—walking along the beach, relaxing in the hot springs, or simply sitting in my room and looking out at the scenery.
It was a peaceful one-night stay that allowed me to slow down and enjoy the seaside atmosphere of Shirahama.

information and access to Shiraraso Grand Hotel